Cargo Rack for Utility Task Vehicle

ABSTRACT

A cargo rack for a utility task vehicle that includes a cargo bed that is fastenable to a bed of a utility task vehicle and side supports that are fastenable both to the cargo bed of the cargo rack and to the utility task vehicle. The cargo rack has an up position and a down position when fastened to the bed of the utility task vehicle. The side supports are fastened to the cargo bed and to the utility task vehicle when the cargo rack is in the up position, but the cargo bed is fastened to the bed of the utility task vehicle without the side supports when the cargo rack is in the down position.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of, and claims thebenefit of, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/065,366, entitled “CargoRack for Utility Task Vehicle” and filed on Oct. 7, 2020. The completedisclosure of said application is hereby incorporated by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A utility task vehicle (UTV) is a four-wheel drive off-road vehicle thatis commonly referred to as a “side-by-side.” A UTV typically includes acab and a dump bed for hauling equipment and other objects. The space inboth the cab and the dump bed of a UTV is quite limited, which poses achallenge for a UTV user needing to store a lot of tools and equipmentin or on the UTV. It would therefore be desirable to develop a cargorack for attaching to the dump bed of the UTV that has multiplepositions and configurations to maximize storage space for the UTV user.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a cargo rack for a UTV thatincludes a cargo bed fastenable to the bed of the UTV and side supportsthat are fastenable both to the cargo bed of the cargo rack and to theUTV. The cargo rack has an up position and a down position when fastenedto the bed of the UTV. The side supports are fastened to the cargo bedand to the UTV when the cargo rack is in the up position, but the cargobed is fastened to the bed of the UTV without the side supports when thecargo rack is in the down position.

These and other features, objects and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description of the preferred embodiments and appendedclaims in conjunction with the drawings as described following:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a back perspective view of one embodiment of the cargo rack ofthe present invention in the up position.

FIG. 2 is a back perspective view of one embodiment of the cargo rack ofthe present invention in the down position.

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the bed of the cargo rack of thepresent invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the divider of the cargo rack of thepresent invention.

FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of the bed of the cargo rack of thepresent invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view of one embodiment of the cargo rack of the presentinvention.

FIG. 7 is a back perspective view of one embodiment of the cargo rack ofthe present invention in the up position.

FIG. 8 is a back perspective view of one embodiment of the cargo rack ofthe present invention in the up position.

FIG. 9 is a back perspective view of one embodiment of the cargo rack ofthe present invention in the up position.

FIG. 10 is a back perspective view of one embodiment of the cargo rackof the present invention in the up position.

FIG. 11 is a back perspective view of one embodiment of the cargo rackof the present invention in the up position.

FIG. 12 is a back perspective view of one embodiment of the cargo rackof the present invention in the up position.

FIG. 13 is partial front prospective view of two side panels of thecargo rack of the present invention containing a fire extinguisher and afirst aid kit.

FIG. 14 is a back perspective view of one embodiment of the cargo rackof the present invention in the up position.

FIG. 15 is a back perspective view of one embodiment of the cargo rackof the present invention in the up position.

FIG. 16 is a back perspective view of one embodiment of the cargo rackof the present invention in the up position.

FIG. 17 is a partial side perspective view of four side panels of thecargo rack of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a back perspective view of one embodiment of the cargo rackof the present invention in the up position.

FIG. 19 is a back perspective view of one embodiment of the cargo rackof the present invention in the up position.

FIG. 20 is a back perspective view of one embodiment of the cargo rackof the present invention in the up position.

FIG. 21 is a back perspective view of one embodiment of the cargo rackof the present invention in the up position.

FIG. 22 is a back perspective view of one embodiment of the cargo rackof the present invention in the up position.

FIG. 23 is a side view of one embodiment of the cargo rack of thepresent invention in the up position.

FIG. 24 is a back perspective view of one embodiment of the cargo rackof the present invention in the up position.

FIG. 25 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the cargo rackof the present invention in the up position.

FIG. 26 is a back perspective view of one embodiment of the cargo rackof the present invention in the up position.

FIG. 27 is a back perspective view of one embodiment of the cargo rackof the present invention with the bed omitted.

FIG. 28 is a side view of the cargo rack of the present invention withthe bed omitted.

FIG. 29 is front view of one embodiment of the cargo rack of the presentinvention with the bed omitted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIGS. 1-29 , the preferred embodiments of the presentinvention may be described. The present invention is directed to a cargorack 10 for a UTV. The cargo rack 10 includes a cargo bed 12. The cargorack 10 also may include one or more dividers 14, one or more sidesupports 16, one or more side panels 18, and a headache rack 20.

The cargo rack 10 is attachable to the sides 22 of the stock dump bed 24of the UTV. The cargo rack 10 may be raised and lowered. In this regard,the cargo rack 10 has an up position, as shown in FIG. 1 , and a downposition, as shown in FIG. 2 . The cargo rack 10 is in the up positionwhen the bed 12 is positioned high above the sides 22 of UTV's dump bed24. The cargo rack 10 is in the down position when the bed 12 ispositioned slightly above the sides 22 of the UTV's dump bed 24.

The cargo bed 12 preferably has an octagonal shape. The angled cornersof the bed 12 aid in limb and debris deflection. The bed 12 also haslight cut-outs in the angled corners of the exterior of the bed 12 forLED lights 26. The LED lights 26 offer the user of the UTV addedvisibility in low or no light conditions. Standoff tubes 28 extend fromthe sides and back of the bed 12, which assist in further deflectinglimbs, objects and debris, provide hand holds for accessing the interiorof the UTV's dump bed 24 and the bed 12 of the cargo rack 10, act as ahandle for actuating the UTV's dump bed 24, and allow tools, gear andequipment to be hung over and secured to the side of bed 12. Thestandoff tubes 28, like the rest of the cargo rack 10, are preferablymade of ferrous or non-ferrous metal. The top plate of the bed 12 thatforms the perimeter of the bed 12 also has multiple hook or tie-offpoints 32 so that gear stored in the bed 12 can be secured while the UTVtraverses any terrain.

In some embodiments of the cargo rack 10, one or more dividers 14 arepositioned within the interior of the bed 12, as shown in FIG. 2 . Thedividers 14 are preferably elongated metal panels that divide theinterior of the bed 12 into multiple bed compartments. The dividers 14allow the UTV user to configure the interior of the bed 12 to allowgear, tools and equipment to be separated, organized and stored quicklyand easily. The body of the dividers 14 includes a plurality of ovalshape openings 34 of different sizes. Some of the openings 34 preferablyare oriented horizontally and some of the openings preferably areoriented vertically. Straps or other tie-downs may pass through theopenings 34 to secure gear and equipment in the bed 12. In combination,the openings 34 also reduce the overall weight of the divider 14. Thedividers may be quickly and easily installed, removed, and relocated.The dividers include a top plate 36 that is longer than the rest of thedividers. The top plate 36 of the divider 12 fastens to the top plate ofthe bed 12. In one embodiment, the two ends of the top plate areattached to the top plate of the bed via quick release fasteners thatwould be well-known to a person of ordinary skill in the art. In analternative embodiment, the two ends of the top plate are attached tothe top plate of the bed with conventional fasteners (e.g., bolt,washer, and hex nut). Two handles 38 are joined at opposite ends of thetop plate 36. Two roughly triangular shaped projections 40 extend fromthe bottom of the dividers 14. The projections 40 slide through slots inthe bottom 42 of the bed 12. The bed 12 preferably has slots to receivethe dividers 14 in three different positions: left side of the bed(“left position”), right side of the bed (“right position”), and themiddle of the bed (“middle position”). Thus, the dividers 14 may be usedin combination to create different size bed compartments. For example,in FIG. 3 , the dividers are in the left position and the right positionand the bed is divided into three bed compartments. Openings that extendthrough the projections 40 provide additional tie-off points below thebed when the cargo rack 10 is in the up position.

The bottom 42 of the bed 12 is supported by a frame 44. The frame 44includes lengthwise and widthwise tubular supports. When the cargo rack10 is in the down position, the frame 44 attached to the bottom of thebed 12 is attached to the sides of the dump bed 24 of the UTV by quickrelease fasteners that would be well-known to those skilled in the art.For example, because different manufacturers of UTVs utilize differentfasteners for add-on products (e.g., Polaris LOCK & RIDE® fastener), thefasteners used in the cargo rack 10 correspond to the UTV manufacturerto which the cargo rack will be attached. The frame 44 has hook ortie-off points which allows tools, equipment and gear to be secured,stored or suspended in various configurations.

The cargo rack 10 also includes side supports 16 that are connected tothe frame of the bed 12 and to the sides of the dump bed 24 of the UTV.In one embodiment, there are two supports 16 on each side of the cargorack 10. The supports 16 raise the bed 12 above the dump bed 24 when thecargo rack 10 is in the up position. The side supports 16 are connectedto the frame of the bed of the cargo rack and to the bed of the UTV viaquick release fasteners. The supports 16 have multiple hook or tie-offpoints to allow tools, equipment and gear to be hung, suspended orsecured from in desired configurations. The supports 16 include handles56 facing the rear of the UTV to assist users accessing the dump bed 24of the UTV or the cargo rack 10.

The use of quick release fasteners allows the cargo rack 10 to beconverted from the up position to the down position quickly and easily.First, the fasteners connecting the side supports 16 to the sides 22 ofthe dump bed 24 of the UTV are disengaged so that the cargo rack 10(with the bed 12 and the side supports 16) may be removed from the dumpbed 24. Second, the fasteners connecting the side supports 16 and theframe 44 under the bed 12 are disengaged so that the side supports 16are separated from the bed 12. Third, the bed 12 is placed on the sides22 of the dump bed 24 of the UTV and the fasteners on the frame 44 areengaged with the mounts on the sides 22 of the dump bed 24.

The use of quick release fasteners also allows the cargo rack 10 to beconverted from the down position to the up position quickly and easily.First, the fasteners connecting the frame 44 under the bed 12 to thesides 22 of the dump bed 24 are disengaged so that the bed 12 may beremoved from the dump bed 24. Second, the side supports 16 are fastenedto the frame 44 attached to the bed 12. Third, the bed 12 with the sidesupports 16 is placed on top of the sides 22 of the dump bed 24 of theUTV and the side supports 16 are fastened to the sides 22 of the dumpbed.

Side panels 18 may be attached to the side supports 16 along the leftand right sides of the cargo rack 10. One or more panels may be attachedto either or both sides of the supports 16 in different configurationsas described below depending on the particular needs of the UTV user. Inone embodiment, the panel 18 includes flat bracket sections on oppositeends of the panel that are secured to the side supports. The bracketsections are joined to curved sections. The curved sections of thepanels 18 are joined to opposite ends of a flat middle section. Thepanels may be mounted in different mounting holes 46 spaced along thelength of the supports 16, which allows the panels to be adjustedvertically based on the needs of the user. The face of the panelsincludes mounting holes 48 that are compatible with mounting plates thathold different securing attachments. The mounting plates allow the userto attach items such as gas cans, water cans, storage cans, shovels,axes, spare tires, hand tools, fire extinguishers, first aid kits andother miscellaneous items to the side of the rack in variousconfigurations, as shown in FIG. 15 . The panels 18 have multiple hookand tie-off points that allow straps, carabiner clips, ropes, tools,gear and equipment to be hung, secured or suspended.

When two panels are combined (one panel 18 fastened to the inside of thesupports 16 and one panel 18 fastened to the outside of the supports16), a small storage compartment is created that allows the user toconveniently and securely store items (e.g., ammunition, off-roadrecovery equipment, dog training gear, hand tools, and many other smallmiscellaneous items) between the supports on that particular side of thecargo rack 10, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 12-17 . When two panels arecombined, a separate plate is positioned horizontally between the twopanels to form the floor of the small storage compartment. Four panelsmay be combined (two panels fastened to the inside of the supports andtwo panels fastened to the outside of the supports) to produce a largerstorage compartment for larger items, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 22 .Similarly, a separate plate is positioned horizontally between each ofthe two facing panels to form the floor of the larger storagecompartment.

FIG. 8 shows a single panel 18 mounted to the inside of the supports 16on both sides of the cargo rack 10. The panel 18 on the left side of thecargo rack 10 extends towards the right side of the cargo rack 10, andthe panel 18 on the right side of the cargo rack 10 extends away fromthe left side of the cargo rack 10. FIG. 9 shows a single panel 18mounted to the inside of the supports 16 on both sides of the cargo rack10. The panel on the left side of the cargo rack 10 extends towards theright side of the cargo rack 10, and the panel 18 on the right side ofthe cargo rack 10 extends towards the left side of the cargo rack 10.FIG. 10 shows a single panel 18 mounted to the outside of the supports16 on both sides of the cargo rack 10, and the panels 18 extend awayfrom each other. FIG. 11 shows a single panel 18 mounted to the outsideof the supports 16 on both sides of the cargo rack 10. The panel 18 onthe left side of the cargo rack 10 extends towards the right side of thecargo rack 10, and the panel 18 on the right side of the cargo rackextends away from the left side of the cargo rack 10.

Similarly, two panels 18 may be attached to the supports 16 in adouble-stack configuration on either or both sides of the cargo rack 10and either extending towards or away from the opposite side of the cargorack 10. For example, FIG. 18 shows two panels 18 mounted to the insideof the supports 16 on both sides of the cargo rack 10. The panels 18 onthe left side of the cargo rack 10 extend towards the right side of thecargo rack 10, and the panels 18 on the right side of the cargo rack 10extend away from the left side of the cargo rack 10. FIG. 19 shows twopanels 18 mounted to the inside of the supports 16 on both sides of thecargo rack 10. The panels 18 on the left side of the cargo rack 10extend towards the right side of the cargo rack 10, and the panels 18 onthe right side of the cargo rack 10 extend towards the left side of thecargo rack 10. FIG. 20 shows two panels 18 mounted to the outside of thesupports 16 on both sides of the cargo rack 10. The panels 18 on theleft side of the cargo rack 10 extend towards the right side of thecargo rack 10, and the panels 18 on the right side of the cargo rackextend away from the left side of the cargo rack 10. FIG. 21 shows twopanels 18 mounted to the outside of the supports 16 on both sides of thecargo rack 10, and the panels 18 extend away from each other. An exampleof use of double panels 18 is shown in FIGS. 24 and 26 .

The cargo rack 10 may also include a headache rack 20, as shown in FIGS.23, 25, 27-29 . The headache rack 20 includes hooks or tie-off pointsthat allow the UTV user to secure additional tools, gear and equipmentclose to cab of the UTV where they are easily accessible and out of theway. The headache rack 20 is mounted to the front of the dump bed 24 ofthe UTV. The headache rack 20 preferably is mounted to the front wall ofthe dump bed 24 of the UTV with quick release fasteners that would bewell-known to one skilled in the art. The headache rack 20 is alsopreferably fastened to the side supports 16. The headache rack 20extends across the front of the dump bed 24 and is positioned betweenthe cab of the UTV and the front surface of the supports 16 of the cargorack 10. The headache rack 20 includes an outer frame 50 to whichoptional front plates 52 may be attached to permit the UTV user toconfigure gear and tools in multiple ways. For example, a headache rack20 with two spaced front panels is shown in FIGS. 25, 27, and 29 . Sideplates 54 may also be attached at an angle to the frame 50 that arepositioned in the space between the frame 50 and the front surface ofthe supports 16 of the cargo rack, such as shown in FIGS. 23, 25, and27-28 . The bed 12 of the cargo rack 10 may be removed with the headacherack 20 remaining mounted to the dump bed 24, which may be needed whenextra large objects are being hauled in the UTV's dump bed 24.

The present invention has been described with reference to certainpreferred and alternative embodiments that are intended to be exemplaryonly and not limiting to the full scope of the present invention as setforth in the appended claims.

We claim:
 1. A cargo rack for a utility task vehicle, comprising: acargo bed, wherein a bottom of said cargo bed is supported by a frame,wherein said frame is fastenable to opposing sides of a bed of a utilitytask vehicle; and a plurality of side supports, wherein a first end ofeach of said plurality of side supports is configured to be fastened tosaid frame, wherein a second end of each of said plurality of sidesupports is configured to be fastened to one of said opposing sides ofsaid bed of said utility task vehicle, wherein said cargo rack has an upposition and a down position when fastened to said bed of said utilitytask vehicle, wherein each of said plurality of side supports arefastened to said frame and to one of said opposing sides of said bed ofsaid utility task vehicle when said cargo rack is in said up positionand wherein said plurality of side supports are not fastened to saidframe or to said one of said opposing sides of said bed of said utilitytask vehicle when said cargo rack is in said down position, wherein saidbottom of said cargo bed is positioned above said opposing sides of saidbed of said utility task vehicle when said cargo rack is in said downposition.
 2. The cargo rack of claim 1, further comprising a dividerpositioned in said cargo bed of said cargo rack.
 3. The cargo rack ofclaim 2, wherein said divider comprises a handle.
 4. The cargo rack ofclaim 2, wherein said divider comprises openings operable for securinggoods to said divider.
 5. The cargo rack of claim 2, wherein a portionof said divider is received in a slot in a bottom of said cargo bed ofsaid cargo rack to secure said divider to said bed of said cargo rack.6. The cargo rack of claim 1, further comprising a headache rackfastenable to said utility task vehicle.
 7. The cargo rack of claim 6,wherein said headache rack comprises a frame and a plurality of sideplates attached to said frame.
 8. The cargo rack of claim 1, whereinsaid plurality of side supports comprises a first side support and asecond side support, wherein a first side panel is attached between saidfirst side support and said second side support,
 9. The cargo rack ofclaim 8, wherein a second side panel is attached between said first sidesupport and said second side support, wherein said first side panel andsaid second side panel are attached on opposite sides of said first sidesupport and said second side support, wherein a compartment is formedbetween said first side panel and said second side panel.
 10. The cargorack of claim 9, wherein a third side panel and a fourth side panel areattached between said first side support and said second side support,wherein said third side panel and said fourth side panel are attached onopposite sides of said first side support and said second side support,wherein said third side panel is positioned below said first side paneland said fourth side panel is positioned below said second side panel.11. The cargo rack of claim 8, wherein said first side panel comprisesopenings operable for securing goods to said first side panel.
 12. Thecargo rack of claim 8, wherein said first side support comprises ahandle.
 13. The cargo rack of claim 1, wherein a standoff tube isattached to an exterior surface of said cargo bed of said cargo rack.14. The cargo rack of claim 1, wherein said frame of said cargo bed ofsaid cargo rack is fastenable to said bed of said utility task vehiclewith quick release fasteners.
 15. The cargo rack of claim 1, whereinsaid plurality of side supports are fastenable to said frame of saidcargo bed of said cargo rack and to said utility task vehicle with quickrelease fasteners.
 16. A cargo rack for a utility task vehicle,comprising: a cargo bed, wherein a bottom of said cargo bed is supportedby a frame, wherein said frame is fastened to opposing sides of a bed ofa utility task vehicle; and a plurality of removable side supports,wherein a first end of each of said plurality of side supports isconfigured to be fastened to said frame, wherein a second end of each ofsaid plurality of side supports is configured to be fastened to one ofsaid opposing sides of said bed of said utility task vehicle, whereinsaid cargo rack has an up position and a down position when fastened tosaid opposing sides of said bed of said utility task vehicle, whereineach of said plurality of side supports are fastened to said frame andto one of said opposing sides of said bed of said utility task vehiclewhen said cargo rack is in said up position and wherein said pluralityof side supports are removed from said frame when said cargo rack isconverted from said up position to said down position.
 17. The cargorack of claim 16, wherein said frame is fastened to said bed of saidutility task vehicle with quick release fasteners.